Earlier this month IBMA Executive Director Ken White celebrated his 60th birthday with a jazz and bluegrass bash at Walker’s Jazz Lounge in Wichita, KS. Ken got his start as a jazz musician before coming to bluegrass, so he and a number of friends entertained first with a jazz set and then some grass.
In support were Robin Macy on guitar and vocals, Shelby Eicher on fiddle, Jimmy Campbella on banjo and reso-guitar, and Darrin Wilcox on bass, with Ken on guitar.
As the weather warms, thoughts turn to spring and fiddlers’ conventions. Three such talent competitions held in Montgomery, Randolph, and Moore Counties in central North Carolina have been a tradition for almost 100 years. They feature the skills of local musicians, vocalists, and dancers ranging in age from children to senior citizens, and nicely capture the spirit of these largely rural communities.
On March 1, the 98th annual Star Fiddlers’ Convention recommences. Sponsored by the Halcyon Woman’s Club, the event continues to make upgrades. This year, the acoustic talent contest is increasing its prize money to $2,500. In 2024 they expanded their youth division (ages 15 and under) into seven individual categories (fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, bass, dobro, and vocal) with prizes for first, second, and third place. The local bluegrass talent contest will be held in its original location, Star Elementary School, located at 302 South Main Street in Star, NC. Doors open at 4:00 p.m. Registration is from 5:00-6:45 p.m., with a lottery drawing for performance order at 5:45. All acts registering after 5:45 will compete in the order of their registration. Competition begins at 6:00 p.m.
Two weeks later, on March 15, the 70th annual Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention returns to Seagrove Elementary School, 528 Old Plank Road in Seagrove, NC. Promoter, Maxton Byrd, and his committee, have worked diligently to make this year’s event bigger and better. Prize money has increased to $2,500 in cash awards. The competition includes a full set of youth awards that mirror the adult ones. New this year is the Greg Corbett Memorial Youth Banjo Award presented by the late Corbett’s family to the most outstanding youth banjoist. Also, a vocal category unique to Seagrove is harmony blend singing that focuses on two or more singers harmonizing. The seventh Annual Alan Perdue Memorial Bluegrass Appreciation Award will also be presented. Registration is from 5:00-6:45 p.m. with youth competition beginning at 6:00 p.m.
On April 5, the 2025 Highfalls Fiddlers’ Convention will be held. First band prize is $500. First place individual prizes, both youth and adult, are $50. The competition will be held at North Moore High School, 1504 N Moore Road in Robbins, NC. Miranda Smith is the promoter. She is assisted by a team of family and friends. Registration is from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Competition begins at 6:00 p.m.
Admission to each convention is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12, free for children under age 6; cash only. All three contests offer concessions and order of performances will be determined by a lottery drawing prior to competition. Mark your calendars to support these great local musical events either by competing or attending.
Bryce LaFoon also made it out to Shelby, NC last weekend to catch Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and the Del McCoury Band at the Earl Scruggs Center in their annual Remembering Earl concert. The show is a benefit for the Center, which houses the official Earl Scruggs Museum, located not far from where Earl was born.
Bryce LaFoon caught Mountain Grass Unit earlier this month at The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC, which followed Billy Strings’ show there in town. He has shared some images from their set.
The Unit announced a large scale run for 2025 last week, their Runnin’ From Trouble Summer Tour, which will include 50 plus dates at venues and festivals across the country. They plan to hit popular sites for their jamgrass sound like The Georgia Theatre, Terminal West, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, and The Mint, as well as major festivals Telluride, DelFest, Northlands, and Blue Ox.
Here’s a fan video captured that night.
Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 21 for this tour, which runs from late May through September. More details on their web site.
Dear MariBella & the Pigkickers with Sam Bush at Brooklyn Arts Center in Wilmington, NC (2/26/25)
Regular readers may recall a story from November about a very talented young family band from Wilmington, NC called Dear MariBella & the Pigkickers. It includes two sisters in their late teens and their two younger brothers who are already writing their own material, and have released an EP titled Magnolia.
Those same readers may likewise remember an article a few weeks ago about a venue there in Wilmington that was running a band contest to choose an opening act for their Sam Bush concert on February 16. That venue was the Brooklyn Arts Center, and before Dear MariBella, et al, had a chance to enter, the venue contacted them about submitting an entry.
And you can probably guess where this goes next. The Trakimowicz siblings who make up Dear MariBella & the Pigkickers (Isabella on fiddle, AnnMari on guitar, Pete on banjo, and Chris on mandolin), were chosen to open the show, and got to meet Sam, and everything.
They have shared a few photos from their big night, with their dad, Joel, on bass.
We understand that the question they always get has to do with the unusual band name, which started out as Dear MariBella when it was just the two older girls, by combining the second parts of their first names. When the boys joined in, they came up with the rest of the appellation.
We didn’t get any video from the show, but here is a sample of their sound, one they wrote called Carolina Sunshower.
Bluegrass lovers in southwestern Virginia have a unique opportunity on March 15 to relive the music of the 1980s when the Floyd Country Store in Floyd, VA presents A Tribute to Randall Hylton with a Virginia Squires reunion.
Hylton was a prolific bluegrass songwriter, and a native of Floyd County in Virginia, who got his first break in 1967 when The Lewis Family recorded his song, Slippers With Wings. From there he wrote more than 250 songs, including some of the most memorable ones of the latter part of the 20th century. A few of his hits include 32 Acres; Gonna Be Movin‘; Cold Sheets Of Rain; Once And For Always; I’ve Heard The Wind Blow; Country Poor, Country Proud; Where Rainbows Touch Down; Room At The Top Of The Stairs; Slowly Getting You Out Of The Way; Mountain Laurel; Pulleybone Gayden; Hallelujah Turnpike; Goodtime Get-Together; and China Grove My Hometown.
Among the popular ’80s bands that recorded Randall’s songs was The Virginia Squires, which featured Mark Newton on guitar, Sammy Shelor on banjo, Rickie Simpkins on fiddle and mandolin, and Ronnie Simpkins on bass. The group first appeared on the scene in 1983 after the breakup of The Heights of Grass, where they had been members. They released three successful albums for Rebel Records and were known for their distinctly modern sound, until they disbanded in 1989.
The Squires cut seven of Randall’s songs during their tenure, and had a close relationship with him during that time. So Mark Newton has organized a Squires reunion to perform these songs again in Floyd, along with a collection of Hylton cuts for the March 15 show, which will also feature The Comptons.
Three of the original Virginia Squires will be on hand, Newton, Shelor, and Ronnie Simpkins. Jesse Smathers of Lonesome River Band will take the fourth spot.
More information on the Randal Hylton Tribute with The Virginia Squires, including advance tickets, can be found on the Floyd Country Store web site. Those unable to attend in person can watch the entire show via Floyd Country Store TV online for only $10.
Kentucky Just Us will be hosting a family-style benefit show on March 15 for Kentucky banjo builder and instrument repairman Arthur Hatfield, whose shop burned down last month after a propane heater ignited the building on January 10.
Arthur lost everything in the fire. All his tooling and equipment is gone, along with everything he was working on at the time. And like so many small, home-based businesses, he was not properly insured.
Bluegrass folks always pitch in to help when a member of our community is down on their luck, and that is exactly what the O’Neal family who make up the bulk of Kentucky Just Us have done. They’ve booked North Jackson Elementary School in Glasgow, KY, and will perform on March 15 along with The Dean Osborne Band to assist Arthur recover.
Admission is only $10 for the show, though additional donations will be appreciated. A spaghetti dinner will also be available for an additional fee. Mark Kuzma will MC the 6:00 p.m. event, with dinner served at 5:00.
All proceeds will go directly to Arthur as he tries to put his banjo business back together, after 40 years in operation.
Banjo pickers are requested to bring their instrument to the show, as a banjo orchestra performance of Foggy Mountain Breakdown is planned as a finale.
Further details can be obtained by calling 270-646-7559.
For those unable to attend, there is a GoFundMe campaign up to make contributions to put Hatfield Banjos back in business.
Popular banjo player and educator Bennett Sullivan has come up with a unique instructional music festival which he is calling LickFest. It’s set to run online February 22-23, and attendees will be able to spend 30 minute Demio sessions with a dozen or more top professional banjo pickers, showing how they create melodies, and then put together licks and phrases to express them.
It’s a fascinating concept, and Sullivan will be on hand during all the sessions to facilitate and guide each of the players, who include some of the top names in acoustic music, encompassing traditional and progressive bluegrass, as well as old time and Americana styles.
Scheduled to appear are:
Kristin Scott Benson
Jens Kruger
Sarah Jarosz
Tony Trischka
Billy Failing
Sam Grisman
Wes Corbett
Kyle Tuttle
Jason Davis
Gena Britt
Jeff Picker
Tray Wellington
Gina Furtado
Bennett Sullivan
Jake Workman
Bennett put together this brief explainer video to clarify the concept.
Registration is $97 for both days of online learning, and all sessions will be archived in perpetuity for anyone registered to attend. Students will be able to watch the proceedings go down live, and then reach for the archives to work on what is presented as time allows. Tablature will be provided after the fact by email for all the examples shown during LickFest sessions.
Most sessions will be presented live, allowing student attendees to post questions via chat if something isn’t clear. Bennett says that a couple of sessions may be pre-recorded based on artist availability.
This appears to be an extremely cost-effective way to watch and learn with these experienced pros in the comfort of your home. LickFest seems certain to be both entertaining and instructive.
Full details can be found online, along with a daily schedule. LickFest 2025 will be managed by Sullivan’s online learning company, Banjo Licks.
The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY celebrated their initial John Hartford Days earlier this month, with a number of artists performing in honor of the great man who left us with so much music when he died in 2001.
On hand over the two days (January 31-February1) were the Sam Bush Band, Jamie Hartford, Rodney Dillard, Mike Compton, Alison Brown, Jim Lauderdale, Showman & Coole of the Lonesome Ace Stringband, and Oh Me Oh My featuring Simontacchi, Long, Bub, and Cobb.
Members of the public could enjoy concerts each evening, attend jam sessions during the day, and visit the Museum with all its exhibits about the history of our music.
Hall of Fame Executive Director Adam Engelhardt tells us that all went well.
“The John Hartford Days at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum was a resounding success, celebrating the legacy of one of bluegrass music’s most innovative artists and Hall of Famers. The energy, talent, and enthusiasm from both performers and attendees truly embodied John Hartford’s adventurous spirit. We’re proud to honor his influence and grateful to everyone who made this event so special. We’re already discussing making this an annual tradition!”
Thanks to Erin Rouse at the Museum for sharing these images, taken by Chad Gesser.
The good people who have been running the Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest since 1998 are asking the wider bluegrass and old time music community for help getting things ready for their 2025 event, scheduled for July in Sugar Grove, NC.
The site of the festival, the historic Cove Creek School, was badly damaged by the floodwaters following Hurricane Helene at the end of September 2024. Festival Chair Danny Platt tells us that they are working hard to get everything restored, but that uncertainties about insurance and county commitments, not to mention the difficulties of finding contractors with so much destruction across the region, leave them in need of some help.
This is another example of how hurricane damage along the Blue Ridge has hit the old time and bluegrass community especially hard, a population already dealing with a scarcity of resources.
Danny created this video to explain the position they are in, and plead their case for assistance.
The Cove Creek Preservation & Development organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity, so all donations are tax deductible.
If you can help with a contribution of any size, visit the Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest fundraising page online.
